Worcester County solar co-op opens to help residents go solar together, get a discount

Neighbors in Worcester County are forming a solar co-op to save money and make going solar easier, while building a network of solar supporters. The Town of Snow Hill and the Assateague Coastal Trust, along with MD SUN are the co-op sponsors. MD SUN is a non-profit effort working in Maryland to help homeowners use their group buying power to go solar together for a discount and gain the support of working with a group.

The co-op is seeking members and will host information meetings to educate the community about solar and the co-op process. They will be held June 23 at 7 p.m. at the Snow Hill Train Station (200 Belt Street, Snow Hill) and June 29 at 7 p.m. at Ocean Pines Library (11107 Cathell Road, Ocean Pines).

Worcester County residents interested in joining the co-op can sign up at www.mdsun.org/worcester. Joining the co-op is not a commitment to purchase panels. Once the group is large enough, MD SUN will help the co-op solicit competitive bids from area solar installers.

Co-op members will select a single company to complete all of the installations. They will then have the option to purchase panels individually based on the installer’s group rate. By going solar as a group and choosing a single installer, each participant generally saves up to 20% off the cost of their system.